State trooper from Milford accused of stalking, misuse of power

Saturday

Mar 15, 2014 at 10:42 AM

A Delaware State Police trooper, 38-year-old Master Cpl. Andrel Martinez of Milford, was arrested Friday amid allegations that he misused his access to criminal records in an ongoing domestic dispute with his former girlfriend.

By Staff reports

A Delaware State Police trooper was arrested Friday amid allegations that he misused his access to criminal records in an ongoing domestic dispute with his former girlfriend.

Milford resident Master Cpl. Andrel Martinez, 38, has been a state trooper for 15 years and is currently assigned to the patrol division of Troop 7 Lewes.

Martinez is currently suspended from the department, pending the outcome of the criminal charges, according to Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack.

State police began investigating Martinez in January after receiving a report that he had unlawfully accessed someone’s criminal history records and data related to the person’s relatives, Shavack said.

Investigators reviewed records and queries Martinez made to the Delaware Justice Information System (DELJIS) and found they validated the complaint. Investigators also discovered additional violations not related to an active police investigation, Shavack said.

The investigation also revealed evidence of domestic-related crimes involving Martinez and his former girlfriend, a 34-year-old Sussex County woman, with whom Martinez has a 1-year-old child, Shavack said.

After separating in March 2013, Martinez allegedly initiated multiple harassing and intimidating visits, text messages, emails, phone calls and voicemails to the woman over an 8-month period, Shavack said.

Martinez again used DELJIS to conduct queries of acquaintances of his former girlfriend, as well as inquiries on the registrations and owners of vehicles parked in her apartment complex, Shavack said.

After police interviewed the former girlfriend, Delaware State Police contacted Martinez and immediately placed him on suspension pending the outcome of the full investigation, Shavack said.

Martinez was taken into custody in the late afternoon of March 14 and was charged with stalking, a felony, as well as the following misdemeanors: 48 counts of knowingly and wrongfully obtaining criminal history record information, 11 counts of attempted knowingly and wrongfully obtaining criminal history record information, one count of official misconduct and harassment.

Martinez was later released on a $62,000 unsecured bond and ordered not to have any contact his former girlfriend.

People who had information unlawfully queried by Martinez will receive official notification by mail, Shavack said.